Device for folding toilet-paper



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W. E. OOOMBS. DEVIGE FOR FOLDING TOILET PAPER.

No. 602,595. Patented Apr. 19,1898 v awuwwtoz 1X meow/v, ii/ M Mwm fw% (No Model.) 7. 3 Sheets$heet 2.

W. E. GOOMBS. DEVICE FOR FOLDING TOILET PAPER.

NO. 602,595. PatentedApr, 19,1898.

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W. E. OOOMBS.

DEVICE FOR FOLDING TOILET PAPER.

No. 602,595. Patented Apr. 19, 1898.

PATENT 1i FFIQEQ WVILLIAM E. ()OOMBS, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR FOLDING TOILET-PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,595, dated April. 19, 1898.

' Application filed August 6,1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. CooMBs, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Devices for Folding Toilet-Paper; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My'invention relates to a device which is intended for cutting continuous sheets of paper into desired lengths and folding said sheets to form packages, so that the alternate sheets overlap each other from opposite sides.

It is especially designed to form packages of toilet-paper to be afterward placed in holders from which the sheets are removable singly and independently.

It consists in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the central portion of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3/ y, Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through one of the casings and its knife. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the center of the machine. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View showing the folding of the paper.

In the application of my invention the paper is brought to the machine in continuous sheets from opposite sides, so that the sheets are brought to a common center, where they are laid alternately one over the other and are cut into lengths double the width of the packages to be formed and folded down, so that each sheet is alternately folded over the opposing one, and packages thus formed are afterward placed in a suitable holder, from which they are removed singly, the removal of each sheet exposing the edge of the next one to be withdrawn.

The machine as I have here shown it is supported upon a suitable framework with legs or supports, as shown at A. Centrally upon this framework are fixed the A-shaped standards B, and at the upper ends of these standards the oscillating shaft 0 is j ournaled. Through this shaft pass the tubular guides D, and within these guides the rods E are slidable.

To the lower ends of the rods E is fixed a Serial No. 647,822. (No model.)

yoke F, and in this yoke a roller G is journaled. I

H H represent continuous sheets of paper, of a suitable width,which may be carried upon rollers I, the shafts of which are journaled in tilting frames J at each end of the machine, so that the paper unrolling or being brought in from each end is carried to the center, where it is doubled or folded upwardly, as shown at K, Fig. 5. Thence it passes down between suitable casings to the platform, where the sheets are laid alternately one above the other. By means of a verticallyreciprocating cutter the folds at the upper edge are severed, leaving a vertical width between that point and the bottom sufficient to be folded over upon the opposing sheet which already lies upon the bed, and this folding is effected by the alternate reciprocation or movement of the roller G across the sheets as they are laid upon the bed, and after the knife has severed the edge, as just described, the roller passes over the sheet, thus folding it down over the one which has been laid from the opposite side. The roller passing on to the opposite side is again returned and folds the sheet from that side which has been severed, thus alternately folding one upon the other. As the rods E are slidable in the sleeves D, it will be seen that the roller will be allowed a certain amount of yielding movement as it passes over the sheets. At the point where the rods emerge from the sleeves are adjustable collars E,which limit the distance to which the rods can drop through the' sleeves.

J ournaled within the frame A and geared up to the drive-shaft T is a shaftL, having fixed to it cams M, standing upon opposite sides of the shaft.

By means of rollers or other tappets N, fixed to vertical rods 0, these rods may be alternately raised by the action of the cams, and when released from the cams they are allowed to again return. To the upper ends of each pair of the rods 0 the cutting-blades P are secured, these blades acting to sever the paper at the proper time, as will be hereinafter described. These blades are normally contained within an inclosing casing P, having tubular end guides P within which the rods 0 are slidable. The movements of these casings and knives will then be as follows: \Vhen the cam strikes the roller or tappet N,

it raises the rod 0, and by reason of a sur-' rounding spiral spring 0, which presses against the bottom of the casing-sleeve P, the casing P will also be pushed up, the knife remaining concealed within the casing until the enlarged bottom of sleeve P has reached the bottom of the table near the upper part of its stroke, which arrests it, and the continued movement of the cam then compresses the spring 0 and allows the knife to be projected upwardly through the casing. The paper which is supplied from each end passes along the table between clamping-jaws Q. Thence it passes over the upper edge of the casing P, thence down to the table between the two casings P, which are separated a distance equal to the width of the folded sheets, and the sheets are folded across this space, as shown in the diagrammatic View Fig. 6. The sheets being thus folded after the work has commenced and a sheet lies across the central part of the table, clamps R are brought down to press upon the sheets, thus holding this portion temporarily immovable. The clamps being thus pressed upon this portion of the paper the cams M, acting upon the vertically-movable rods 0, push them up, thus carrying the casing P, with the knife P concealed within it. The paper, as before described, passing over the upper smooth edge of the casing an d being prevented from movement at the center by reason of the clamps B it will be seen that this upward movement of the casing P will take up the slack of the paper drawn by the clamping-jaws Q, from the feed-roll or supply, the jaws Q, holding the paper tight while it is being cut and folded, and when the casing P has reached the end of its upward movement the paper will be drawn up, so that the upper edge of the casing P is in the bight or fold of the paper at the top. The continued movement of the cam then compresses the spring 0 and forces the knife P out through theupper end of the casing P, and thus severs the bight of the paper at this point. This forms a double sheet, one side of which is already lying upon the central portion of the table, being held by the clamp R, while the other. stands vertically, its upper edge being the one just severed by the knife P. The knife is then retracted into the carrier, and the carrier-rod 0 being by this time relieved from the cam pressure these parts will drop to their normal position. At this instant the roller G is brought forward into contact with the vertical severed portion of the sheet and folds it down upon the central port-ion of the table. As a similar edge of the sheet which approaches from the opposite direction has already been folded in the same manner it will be manifest that this last fold will overlap the one from the opposite side, and thus alternately the sheets are folded one upon, theother from opposite sidesto form tlfempackage.

The cla mps Q, through which the paper passes from the roller to the table, are supported upon a carrier S, and this carrier 15 reciprocated a short distance, so as to alternately advance and retract the clamps. WVhen ing it along with it to the base of the casings P, and when the clamp is retracted it is fist.

opened, so as to slide freely without drawing the paper. The movements thus act to constantly advance the paper as fast as it is being folded. Various mechanical devices may be employed for producing these movements. In the present case I have shown a cam T mounted upon a shaft T, through which power may be applied to rotate the cam.

U is a shoe fixed to a lever-arm U, the lower end of which arm is fulcru med, as shown at to, while the upper end of this lever-arm U is free to swing about the fulcrum-point. Then the cam, acting against the shoe U, pushes the lever U, it acts through a connecting-rod V to slide the carrier S back or forward. At the same time it acts to close or open the clamp Q in the following manner: Upon the shaft which carries one of the jaws of the clamp Q is fixed a short crank-arm \V, and to a pin upon this crank-arm the connecting-rod V is united. A similar connectingrod V extends from the crank-arm V to a corresponding one at the opposite end of the carrier S, so that when pressure from the lever U is brought upon the connecting-rod V it acts through the crank W to close the clamp Q which is nearest to it, while the same movement, acting through the connectin g-rod V, acts upon the crank \V at the opposite end to tilt it in the opposite direction and thus opens its clamp. It will thus be seen that the reciprocations of the lever-arm U, acting through these connections, will close each clamp when it is moving toward the center and will open it when it is moving back, so that the sheets approaching from the opposite ends of the machine should alternately move forward by the clamps Q, as previously described.

The vibrations of the roller G and its frame act, as previously described, to fold the sheets down alternately from side to side after they have been cut and are effected by meansof a rod Y, extending from a crank-pin on the cam T to a crank-arm Y upon the rocking shaft 0 at the top of the frame. When these alternate vibrations take place, it is necessary to temporarily raise the clamps R, which at other times press upon the folded sheets of paper and hold them down. This raising of the clamps is effected as follows: The clamps R are pivoted, as shown at r, to swinging or elastic hangers or arms R, the up per ends of which are secured in the upper part of the frames 13, so that the lower ends hang near the table and are free to move out and in by reason of a certain elasticity. Upon the inner sides of the arms R are fixed the blocks R at a point a short distance above the clamps R. Upon the swinging arms D, which carry the roller G, a cross-bar D is clamped, and in the ends of this cross-bar are rollers D and when the arms D swing backward and forward these rollers D are brought in contact with the inclined blocks R thus pushing them outwardly. The rear ends of the hinge-plates R, extending back of the pivot-points r, are bent downwardly, as shown at R extending through slots or channels in the bed-plate, as shown, where they pass between regulating or adjusting screws R Springs R press against the outer ends of the arms R and slightly below the pivotpoints r, and these springs, in conjunction with the hangers R, serve to return the plates to their normal position after the spreadingrollers D have passed between the blocks R IVhen this separation of the hangers R is effected, the lower ends of the lever-arms B being pressed outward strike against the outer screws R and this tilts the levers about their fulcrum-points, thus lifting them up clear of the paper beneath just before the roller G reaches that point, and this leaves a space for the new sheet to be folded down upon those already in place, the roller passing between the clamps R to the other end of its swing. As soon as the rollers D have passed the inclines R and released the swinging arms It the latter will be forced together by the action of the springs, and the clamp-plates R will be dropped upon the sheets of paper, thus holding them until the rollers D return from the opposite direction. The clamps are thus lifted for the passage of the roller G between them in each direction and immediately afterward dropped so as to hold the folded paper in place and to allow the movement of the rising casings P to draw up the slack from the jaws Q on the opposite side. As the paper is folded and the quantity increased in thickness it is gradually pressed down into a discharge-channel 66, which in the present case is shown as having an opening at the top, as shown at a in Figs. 2, 5, and 6, into which the folded paper is pressed and which curves outwardly to one side, so as to eventually deliver the paper to any suitable receiver. The pressure of the clamping-plates R as they close down upon this folded paper gradually forces it down into the channel, and it is eventually delivered from the lower or outer end of this discharge-chute.

lVeights X on the ends of the table serve to hold the paper down to its place.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for folding and interlocking sheets of paper consisting of carriers by which two separate supplies of paper are brought toward each other from opposite endsfineans for first raising the sheets and holdipg them vertically) means for severing the sheets at the top of this fold, and means for alternately folding the vertical severed portion down So over the previously-folded opposite sheet.

2. A device for folding toilet-paper consisting of oppositely-moving severing and folding devices, sources-of supply at opposite ends of the machine and means for alternately advancing the endless sheets toward the center, severing them and laying the severed sheets alternately over and interlocking with each other.

3. In a device for cutting and folding paper 0 from endless sheets, means for supporting said sheets at opposite ends of the machine, clamps folding so as to press upon the portion of each sheet lying in the center of the machine, vertically-movable casings with means 5 for elevating the same beneath the sheet of paper, whereby the paper is doubled upon. itself in a vertical position above the central clamp, a cutter movable with relation to theg casings so as to sever the paper on the line of its upper fold, means for returning the vertically-movin g casings, and a roller with means for oscillating it alternately from end to end over the severed papers whereby the sheets are alternately folded and interlocked.

4. In a machine for folding paper, vertically-movable rods having knives or cutters secured to the upper ends, casings within which said knives are normally retracted and concealed, said. casings having guides no through which the movable rods are slidable, and springs whereby the knives are normally retained within the casings, mechanism for raising the casings and knives beneath the sheets of paper as they approach the center, 115 whereby that portion is lifted from the bed and a fold formed at the upper ends, stops whereby the upward movement of the casings is arrested, yielding springs surrounding the knife-carrying rods whereby the knives con- :20 tinue their upward movement after the movement of the casings has ceased, so as to sever the paper at the point in line above the casings.

5. In a device for folding paper, a table over which the paper sheets are movable so as to 12 5 meet from opposite directions,vertically-moving casings, mechanism by which they are alternately raised to form vertical folds in the sheets, cutters normally concealed within the casings, mechanism whereby they are ad- 1 0 vanced so as to sever the paper in line above the casings after it has been raised and the fold formed, a roller with frames suspending it from a rock-shaft above the central portion of the bed, mechanism whereby the roller is oscillated so as to sweep across the severed portion of the paper and fold the sheets thus severed alternately toward the center from opposite directions whereby the sheets are interlocked.

6. In a machine for folding paper, a horizontal bed, means for supplying paper in endless sheets from opposite ends, mechanism by which the paper is moved toward the center, folded and severed into sheets, swinging clamps movable so as to press upon the centralpmiion of the sheets, vertically-movable casings and cutters by which the paperis folded at the top and afterward severed, mechanism by which the clamps are raised and separated after the sheets have been out, a roller mounted so as to reciprocate from one side to the other between the separated clamps in contact with the out sections so as to fold them alternately over across each other toward the center.

7. In a machine for folding paper, a horizontal bed, clamps adapted to press upon the central portion of the bed to hold the ends of the paper thereon, alternately-reciprocating and Vertically-movable casings whereby the approaching bands of paper are folded upwardly from the central clamp and afterward severed at the upper fold, horizontally-reciprocating clamps adapted to seize the approaching portion of the sheet and move the exterior vertical portion raised by the casing toward the center.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

\VILLIAM E. COOMBS.

Witnesses:

FRED. M. STERN, E. H. WEMPLE. 

